Do you want to learn more about starting a counseling ministry in your church? Do you wonder what that would even look like? As you get excited about the possibility, do you get worried about liability and the emotional sustainability of your leaders? Do you get confused about what counseling ethics look like for a lay-based ministry? Are you unsure how to talk about the possibility of this new ministry with church leaders and church members?

If you answered “yes” to these questions, this is a series of webinars you want to attend.

Here are a few FAQ’s about this webinar series.

  • Do I need to attend all of them? Preferably, yes. This series will be cumulative; meaning each webinar builds on the ones before.
  • What does it cost? It is free.
  • How long is each webinar? About an hour. We will start promptly at 1pm EST on the dates listed below and be finished at or before 2pm EST. We designed this series so it could be a lunch and learn style experience for the majority of our participants.
  • How do I RSVP? The link to RSVP for each of the 4 webinars are included with the descriptions below.
  • What are G4 and GCM? G4 is a lay-based ministry model for counseling groups. GCM is a pre-marital mentoring ministry. These are the lay counseling models this webinar series is designed to help you launch at your church.
  • Is there homework? Not for the educational webinars.
  • Is this for pastors or lay people? Either. Both. The webinar series is for the catalytic leader who would oversee the G4 and GCM leaders at your church. This might be a paid staff member or a lay volunteer.

With that said, here is the schedule and topics.

May 4 // What are G4 and GCM? What Changes When Counseling Becomes Formal?

  • RSVP Link
  • You will gain an in-depth understanding of what G4 and GCM are.
  • You will receive a narrative description of what each ministry looks like in action.

May 11 // How Many Ways is the Word “Counseling” Used? What Are the Challenges of Church-Based Counseling?

  • RSVP Link
  • You will learn 5 different levels of care the term “counseling” can reference.
  • You will learn 10 common challenges that emerge when church-based counseling becomes more than friendship and pastoral care.

May 18 // Thinking Well About Counseling Ethics for Lay-Based Care

  • RSVP Link
  • You will learn to think about counseling ethics across three spectrum: formality, expertise, and jurisdiction.
  • You will gain an appreciation for why the guidelines for counseling become more structured as the model of care implemented becomes more formal.

May 25 // A Six-Phase Launch Plan for G4 and/or GCM

  • RSVP Link
  • This is the summary webinar. It is when principles and models become a launch plan.

If you complete this webinar series and want more help in launching G4 and/or GCM at your church, you can apply for the G4/GCM cohort experience that will begin in the Fall of 2023!